WEBVTT

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SOMETHING BIG.

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>> [ MUSIC ]

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>>> WELCOME BACK

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TODAY IS JUNETEENTH, THE DAY

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MARKING THE DAY ENSLAVED AFRICAN

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AMERICANS IN GALVESTON, TEXA

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LEARNED THEY HAD BEEN FREED AT

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THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR AND

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MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTE

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ABRAHAM LINCOLN SIGNED THE

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EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.

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2024 MARKED THE FOURTH YEAR AS

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JUNETEENTH AS A HOLIDAY.

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THERE WERE MANY PARADES AN

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GATHERINGS

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ZINHLE ESSAMUAH HAS MORE ON HO

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IT BECAME NATIONALLY RECOGNIZE

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AND THE WOMAN WHO MADE I

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HAPPEN

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>> Reporter: THESE WALLS I

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NORTH TEXAS MAY LOOK LIKE

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BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM BUT IT IS

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THE HOME OF OPAL LEE

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>> YOU ARE 97 YEARS OLD, RIGHT

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MANY CONSIDER YOU TH

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GRANDMOTHER OF JUNETEENTH.

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HOW DOES THAT TITLE SIT WITH

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YOU?

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>> OH, MY.

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>> Reporter: FOR YEARS, SH

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ADVOCATED FOR JUNETEENTH TO BE A

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HOLIDAY INSPIRED BY HER OW

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FAMILY’S CELEBRATIONS.

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>> WE WOULD GO TO TH

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FAIRGROUNDS FOR THE JUNETEENTH

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CELEBRATION.

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THERE WOULD BE MUSIC, FOOD

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>> Reporter: LIKE ONE YEAR WHE

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SHE WAS 12, THE ANNUAL

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CELEBRATION TURNED TO TERROR

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>> MY PARENTS HAD JUST BOUGHT

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HOUSE.

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MY MOM HAD IT FIXED UP SO NICE

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BUT PEOPLE STARTED GATHERING

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>> WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE

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>> ALL KINDS

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>> Reporter: IT WAS A WHITE MOB.

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>> THERE WERE 500 OF THEM.

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MY DAD CAME HOME WITH A GUN AN

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THE POLICE WERE THERE AND TOLD

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MY DAD, IF YOU BUST A CAP, THE

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WILL LET THIS MOB HAVE YOU

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THEY DID DESPICABLE THINGS

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>> Reporter: IN 2016, LEE MADE

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HEADLINES AT 89 YEARS OLD,

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PLEDGING TO WALK FROM FORT WORTH

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TO WASHINGTON D.C. THE JOURNEY

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2.5 MILES EACH DAY TO SYMBOLIZ

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THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS THA

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BLACK TEXANS WAITED FOR THE NEWS

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OF EMANCIPATION TO REACH THEM.

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>> I WAS WALKING FROM FORT WORTH

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TO D.C., 1400 MILES, SOMEONE

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WILL TAKE NOTICE

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>> Reporter: AND THEY DID.

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IN 2021, PRESIDENT BIDEN MAD

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JUNETEENTH A FEDERAL HOLIDAY

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>> HOW DID YOU FEEL?

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>> I DON’T KNOW HOW TO EXPRESS

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IT

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I WAS THANKFUL

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>> Reporter: IN MAY, LEE WAS

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AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL

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OF FREEDOM

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>> I’M STRUCK BY HOW MUC

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HISTORY LIVES ON YOUR WALL AND

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ALSO IN YOUR STORY

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WHAT DO YOU ULTIMATELY WANT YOUR

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LEGACY TO BE

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>> THAT THERE WAS AN OLD LAD

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WHO TRIED TO GET IT OVER T

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EVERYONE TO BE ONE PEOPLE.

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>> A REMARKABLE WOMAN.

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WE THANK ZINHLE ESSAMUAH FOR

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THAT REPORT.

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JOANING ME NOW IS KATE MAY

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PROFESSOR OF BLACK STUDIES A

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THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA I

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SANTA BARBARA, ALSO THE AUTHOR

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OF THE UNTEACHABLES.

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THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

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PROFESSOR.

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>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME

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>> LISTENING TO THE REPORTIN

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THERE, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE

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REMINDER HOW RECENT THIS HISTORY

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IS

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FEDERAL RECOGNITION DIDN’T COM

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UNTIL 2021

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>> ABSOLUTELY.

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WHEN YOU THINK OF THE TOTALITY

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OF THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH

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YOU CAN’T HELP BUT TO RECOGNIZ

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OPAL LEE AND ALL OF THE OTHE

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BLACK GRASS ROOTS ACTIVISTS THAT

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KEPT THE HOLIDAY ALIVE AT TH

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COMMUNITY LEVEL.

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THAT’S IMPORTANT

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BECAUSE IN MANY WAYS, TH

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RECOGNITION OF ALL BLACK

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CELEBRATIONS, THEY LIVED WIT

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THE PARTICIPATION OF COMMUNITY

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FOLKS WHO GIVE LIGHT TO TH

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HOLIDAYS EVERY YEAR.

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AND THEN WE SEE THE RECOGNITIO

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BY EITHER CITY COUNCIL, COUNTY

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STATE, WHO BEGIN TO EMBRACE TH

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HOLIDAY AFTER THE BLAC

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COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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HAVE KEPT IT ALIVE

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I THINK IT IS A WONDERFUL THING.

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I THINK MOST -- I THINK TEXA

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WAS THE FIRST STATE TO RECOGNIZE

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IN 1980.

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MANY OF THE STATES RECOGNITION

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ACROSS THE COUNTRY ONLY BEGAN IN

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THE 21st CENTURY

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THAT LED TO THE SIGNING OF THE

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JUNETEENTH INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT

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BIDEN IN 2021.

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IT HAS BEEN A LONG DELAYED

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HISTORY.

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>> MANY PEOPLE HAVE TODAY OFF,

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OF COURSE BEING A FEDERA

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HOLIDAY NOW.

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AN AS THEY PLAN TO CELEBRATE, IS

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THERE AN APPROPRIATE WAY T

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CELEBRATE?

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DO YOU SEE THIS MORE OF A SOMBER

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DAY OF COMMEMORATION OR A DAY OF

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CELEBRATION?

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>> IT IS BOTH.

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IT IS A DAY OF CELEBRATION AND

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MEMORY, HISTORICAL MEMORY,

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UNDERSTANDING THE SIGNIFICANCE

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OF THE HOLIDAY, PUTTING TH

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HOLIDAY INTO ITS APPROPRIATE

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT, AND AS YOU

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PIECE DEMONSTRATED, IT IS ABOU

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THE FORMAL ENDING OF SLAVERY

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BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND

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THAT JUNETEENTH SHOULD TAL

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ABOUT THE MATERIAL REALITY THA

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AFRICAN AMERICANS FACE

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SO ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS GREA

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TO CELEBRATE THE HISTORY O

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BLACK AMERICA BUT WOE ALSO HAV

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TO AT LEAST BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT

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HOW THESE COMMEMORATIONS, THES

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PERENNIAL CELEBRATIONS CAN

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ADDRESS SOME OF THE LONGSTANDING

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ISSUES THAT FACE BLACK FOLKS I

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THIS COUNTRY

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>> PROFESSOR, TO THAT POINT, W

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ARE OF COURSE IN AN ELECTION

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YEAR

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WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE

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IMPORTANCE OF THIS HOLIDAY I

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THIS CURRENT POLITICAL MOMEN

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GIVEN THE DEEP PART INTR

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DIVISIONS WE HAVE SEEN

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>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION

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BECAUSE JUNETEENTH IS PART O

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AMERICAN HISTORY

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THE BATTLES THAT WE ARE ENGAGE

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IN AROUND BLACK HISTORY AND TH

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TEACHING OF IT IN CLASSROOMS, IT

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IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US T

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UNDERSTAND THAT JUNETEENTH, THAT

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IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAN

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AND TEACH OUR CHILDREN AND THE

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CHILDREN OF THIS COUNTRY WHO

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BLACK AMERICA IS AND WAS AND

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SHOULD BE GOING FORWARD IN THE

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FUTURE

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IT WILL BE A PART OF THE

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ELECTORAL PROCESS IN TERMS O

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THE POLITICS TODAY

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WE HAVE TO INSIST ON JUNETEENT

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AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS BEING

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EMBRACED AND BEING A PART OF THE

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LARGER CONVERSATIONS

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NOT ONLY BLACK AMERICA AND ITS

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POLITICAL FUTURE BUT ALSO ABOU

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WHO WE ARE AS A COUNTRY AND AS

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AMERICAN CITIZENS.

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>> PROFESSOR, I WANT TOPLAY SOME

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OF WHAT VICE PRESIDENT HARRI

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SAID AT A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

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IN GEORGIA

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LET’S TAKE A LOOK.

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>> NOW THAT IT IS A FEDERA

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HOLIDAY, LET’S INCORPORATE INT

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THE TRADITION, THE NEW

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TRADITION, THAT WE WILL THINK OF

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JUNETEENTH AS A DAY TO HAVE

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CALL TO ACTION TO VOTE

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LET’S THINK OF JUNETEENTH AS A

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WAY THAT REAFFIRMS OUR

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COMMITMENT TO HOLDING ONTO OUR

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FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS ESPECIALLY

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IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE THER

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IS A FULL ON ATTEMPT TO ATTACK

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FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS.

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>> BEFORE I LET YOU GO, WHAT

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KIND OF ACTION DO YOU WANT T

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SEE FROM POLITICIANS AND

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LAWMAKERS?

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>> I WANT TO SEE THE ACTIONS

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THAT BEGAN AFTER THE TRAGI

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DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD.

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IN MANY WAYS, JUNETEENTH IS AN

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UNFINISHED REVOLUTION.

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ONE COULD ARGUE THAT IF IT

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WASN’T FOR THE MURDER OF GEORG

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FLOYD, WE MAY NOT HAVE HAD A

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FEDERAL HOLIDAY SIGNED B

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PRESIDENT BIDEN IN 2021.

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BUT ALSO, WE HAVE OTHE

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UNRESOLVED LEGISLATIVE BATTLES

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TO FACE.

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VOTING RIGHTS IS ONE

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POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY IS

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ANOTHER.

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I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THES

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HOLIDAYS GALVANIZE US TO ACTIO

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AND PASS SOME OF THE MOS

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IMPORTANT PIECES OF LEGISLATIO

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THAT WE HAVE TO PASS IN ORDE

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FOR US TO BE THE COUNTRY THAT WE

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HAVE ALWAYS BEEN

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WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ROLLBAC

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POLITICALLY.

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AND IF JOUN TO MEAN OR ANY BLACK

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HOLIDAY CAN ADDRESS THEZ ISSUES,

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CAN FORESTALL THE REGRESSION O

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CIVIL RIGHTS, IT IS WORT

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CELEBRATING AND FIGHTING FOR

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THIS IS THE YEAR TO DO IT, I